Jewish leaders not so keen on rumored Hagel nomination

posted at 8:01 am on December 14, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

Not just Jewish Republicans, either, according to BuzzFeed’s Zeke Miller, who heard from sources attending a White House Hanukah party that the group of Jewish political activists didn’t come entirely for the celebration. Chuck Hagel’s track record on Israel and the Middle East has Jewish leaders across the aisle concerned about his potential nomination as Secretary of Defense, and one Democrat in the group predicted that the fight would dwarf the controversy that drove Susan Rice to withdraw her name from consideration for the top job at State:

On Thursday night, hundreds of American Jewish leaders visited the White House to celebrate Hanukah, but many also came with a less celebratory agenda: They were there to deliver a warning to President Barack Obama about the potential nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel.

The buzz around former Republican senator from Nebraska — seen as a top contender to lead the Department of Defense — has Israel supporters worried. Hagel has been a frequent target for Jewish Democratic and Republican groups for more than a decade, even as he is close to Obama, having been a supporter in 2008 and an appointee to the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.

“He was one of these worst senators in his party in memory when it comes to Israel,” said one Jewish Democratic operative. “It’s a terrible idea.”

They went on record opposing Hagel once before during the Obama administration. Miller recalls that Obama’s own campaign outreach director to Jewish voters told the Weekly Standard that they were leery about Hagel’s connection to White House foreign policy when he got appointed to the intelligence advisory board.

“If [Hagel] was taking a policy role, we’d have real concerns,” Ira Forman, the Obama campaign’s Jewish Outreach Director and the former Executive Director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, told The Weekly Standard when Hagel was appointed to the intelligence board.

And this wasn’t just a passing mention at the party, either:

Several attendees at the Hanukah party said they witnessed or participated in reaching out to administration officials about the potential selection of Hagel, with one attendee saying “he was the talk of the party.”

One Democrat in attendance predicted the fight over Hagel would be “Susan Rice times 10.”

Miller writes that Hagel isn’t overtly anti-Israel, but the National Jewish Democratic Council disagreed with that assessment — at least in 2007, when Hagel mulled over a potential run for the White House. They have since removed their point-by-point criticism of Hagel from their website, but Jeff Dunetz rescued a few of the details:

Why should supporters of Israel be worried about Hagel? Don’t take my word for it, in an attempt to be bi-partisan below is what the the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) warned about Sen. Hagel’s lousy record on Israel in 2007. (They took the page down when Obama began to express interest in Hagel for his administration…but I saved it here. Below are some of the details:

In August 2006, Hagel was one of only 12 Senators who refused to write the EU asking them to declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

In October 2000, Hagel was one of only 4 Senators who refused to sign a Senate letter in support of Israel.

In November 2001, Hagel was one of only 11 Senators who refsued to sign a letter urging President Bush not to meet with the late Yassir Arafat until his forces ended the violence against Israel.

In December 2005, Hagel was one of only 27 who refused to sign a letter to President Bush to pressure the Palestinian Authority to ban terrorist groups from participating in Palestinian legislative elections.

In June 2004, Hagel refused to sign a letter urging President Bush to highlight Iran’s nuclear program at the G-8 summit.

One group did support Hagel’s approach to Middle East policy at that time, though:

I don’t want to leave you with the impression that everyone hates Hagel’s record on Israel. The same NJDC artic did cite one group that supported Hagel’s Middle East efforts–CAIR, the American organization created by the Muslim Brotherhood is a fan of Hagel:

“Potential presidential candidates for 2008, like Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Joe Biden and Newt Gingrich, were falling all over themselves to express their support for Israel. The only exception to that rule was Senator Chuck Hagel …” [Council on American-Islamic Relations, 8/28/06]

Says Hagel: “The political reality is that… the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here.” This audio should be heard to truly gauge his own feelings.

Obama might choose Hagel to offer a slim reed of bipartisanship to the media, which would give him some room for a harder stance on policy negotiations. With this particular Republican, though, Obama might wind up doing more damage on his side of the aisle. Still, if Obama nominates Hagel, I don’t see the Senate failing to confirm one of the former members of the club — but the confirmation hearing will certainly be contentious and potentially embarrassing for Obama among one of his party’s important constituencies. That may be enough to have Obama looking elsewhere for a Secretary of Defense.

Blowback

Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.

Zero doesn’t give a hoot about what the American Jews think about him or his cabinet. He knows he’s got most of them and the rest can go straight to hell. And the worst part is, he’s pretty much correct.

Hagel is about as Republican as Joe Scarborough. He’s a poorly disguised RINO at best.

If appointing Hagel as Sec of Def is an “in your face” move to Israel, Obama will appoint him. Obama is so predictable. If there are two choices, one for the USA’s interests and one against, he’ll chose the latter. He has a 4 year track record of it.

I understand their concern but sooner or later the groups who supported and voted for Obama are going to have to face the consequences. When/if Obama’s actions start to dump on them and not just those other guys, the capitalists, the rich, etc, – well boo hoo – they were warned but chose to buy the cr*p sandwich.

Republicans have no love for Hagel, he’s been a thorn in their sides for years and spoiling his nomination would be a pleasure for them.

rplat on December 14, 2012 at 8:56 AM

No doubt, but that isn’t how it will show up on the news at 11:00. If he was good enough to be a Republican then why isn’t he good enough for an Obama appointment? They will portray the GOP as obstructionist, opposing even one of their own to spite Obama.

I really couldn’t care less for the inevitable histrionics and drama over Hagel

You had one candidate who is respected, trusted, and adored by Netenyahu

You had another with a record of indifference, and borderline contempt, for Israel, who supported one after another islamist regime

Yet American Jews turn out in droves, and donate millions, to elect and then re-elect the most anti-Israel candidate since her nation’s birth?

I have two words: useful idiots

I keep wondering what it is going to take for American Jews to realize that liberals are deeply anti-semitic and contemptuous towards Israel. I’m fully convinced that until all of Israel is up in flames, they will keep dutifully pulling levers for Dims against their own self-interest

Israel only has one friend left in the world, and it’s apparently conservatives and evangelicals in the US

“He (Hagel) was one of these worst senators in his party in memory when it comes to Israel,” said one Jewish Democratic operative. “It’s a terrible idea.”

I agree. But so is John Kerry for SoS.

Both, horrible ideas.

Kerry as SoS is the ultimate insult to our military. I can’t imagine a person as insulting as Kerry would be in the SoS job.

AS insulting and problematic as Hagel would be as DoD.

Just horrible, both. As horrible as S.Rice would have been but in her case, I actually think…well, all three, just horrible.

Obama needs to send someone like Beyonce or Prince or Spike Lee to tour the world as SoS just to put a stamp on how stupid Obama is about our national credibility and him as President of his race-based entertainer-in-office.

Remember how John Kerry said, in his failed run for the WH in 2004, how he was given a shotgun and he expressed his thanks by saying he was sorry he couldn’t take it with him to the debate (with Bush).

THAT’S evidence of the mind of the guy who Obama is considering naming as SoS. I wonder if Kerry’d say similar things about meeting with foreign leaders?

I just can’t imagine a more horrible person in the office of SoS as Kerry.

Jews voted overwhelmingly to give the rat-eared wonder a second term. I’m over caring about what they think. Maybe when the Jewish homeland is destroyed and overrun by Muslims some of them will realize just how stupid they are.

Sadly, my fellow members of the tribe only have themselves to blame for this mess. Hagel is an awful choice, but pretty much anyone Obama nominates would be. That being said, it is a canny choice, as it gives Obama the veneer of reaching across the aisle.

The only benefit I can think of for John Kerry being nominated for State is that it gets him out of the Senate (and gives a chance, admittedly slim, for his seat to go Republican). Otherwise, no upside at all. Kerry is a pompous fool.

The only benefit I can think of for John Kerry being nominated for State is that it gets him out of the Senate (and gives a chance, admittedly slim, for his seat to go Republican). Otherwise, no upside at all. Kerry is a pompous fool.

Thats the buzz here. You have a special election (lower voter turnout) with a wide open Dem field. The field should have been wide open this last election but all candidates were forced out so Warren would not have to run in a primary.

This is a very clever move. Obama nominates a Republican, and if Republicans oppose him they are seen as obstructionist and uncompromising, and if they vote for him they are seen as anti-Semitic.
sharrukin on December 14, 2012 at 8:28 AM

Yep, right here. Susan Rice was a red-herring. Lets not ignore that this kind of elementary “art of war” chess absolutely confounds the GOP.

Still, if Obama nominates Hagel, I don’t see the Senate failing to confirm one of the former members of the club — but the confirmation hearing will certainly be contentious and potentially embarrassing for Obama among one of his party’s important constituencies.

Why would the openly anti-Israel president be embarrassed by an anti-Israel Secretary of Defense nominee?